Intermediate Unit Case Study

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) is one of the Intermediate Units in PA that focuses services on Allegheny county. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is a non-profit educational system that provides services to 42 school districts and five vocational-technology schools. Within this organization, there are 1,300 staff members, 441 sites, 11 family centers, and three schools for exceptional children; it is the largest intermediate unit in PA. Also, there are 130 different programs and services for all age cohorts. The way the Allegheny Intermediate Unit works is by splitting their services into six divisions:

Early Childhood, Family and Community Services Finance and Business Operations Human Resources, Strategic Operations and Initiatives

The first way is through screenings. If a preschool, doctor, parent, or even court has concerns they are recommended to have an initial screening. The screening looks at all developmental domains. If a child did not pass the screening, an evaluation would be done in that area. Evaluations are only done if the child does not pass the screening. If a parent signs a PTE form, the evaluation can be done directly after the screening. However, sometimes additional information is required before an evaluation can take place. The other way referrals are done is on-record referrals. An on-record referral can be done if there is an active out of state IEP. Another way is from an active IEP within PA. In addition, on record referrals can come from outside service providers such as psych evaluations, the Child Development Unit, or outside speech and language services. The final referral option is due to the infant/toddler transition. At least 90 days before the child’s 3rd birthday, a planning meeting with DART is held. The meeting includes IT service coordinator, parent, and DART

The schedule is consistent to provide support for students and visual schedules using PECs are displayed throughout the classroom as a reference. There are both teacher directed and child initiated activities throughout the sessions.

If a child would receive DART services in a community preschool, they have the opportunity to attend a summer service social group. The reason the summer service social group is available is because children in a community preschool do not have opportunity for preschool in the summer, like children in the DART classroom do. In addition, speech groups are also available.

In a DART preschool classroom, there are no opportunities for inclusion. However, if a student is receiving DART services in a community setting then there are opportunities for inclusion. Inclusion is discussed during the IEP meeting when considering the least restrictive placement for each child. Therefore, the team can discuss if inclusion is most beneficial for each